Irony
by Celina Corey
Summary: A brief interlude that takes place in Lily and James' fifth year.  A SHORT STORY


**Author's Note:** I got a bit bored and so I wrote this. I know, I know...I should be writing _Her Last Mystery_, but I wanted to take a break from it for a while and this was the product. I hope you enjoy it.

**Secret Spoiler:** I may or may not write a novel prequel/sequel to this. I deffinitely think it would be a good idea, but I already have my next novel fanfiction in mind so we'll just have to see how things go.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the _Harry Potter_ content in this story; all rights belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Twilight had long since passed and the ominous clouds of that afternoon had just begun to confirm the theories that all at Hogwarts had held: a dreadful storm was to come. The wind blew, sending harsh rain to splatter across the window. Lightening brightened the sky once, then twice. Somewhere in the distance, thunder shook the Earth. The storm was ferocious, a perfect reflection of his mood. He watched the storm wreak havoc upon the castle grounds and couldn't help but compare its hunger for destruction to _her_ emotions to him. The unrequited love that they shared played complete destruction on his heart. His love wasn't his love at all. Her heart belonged to no man, and it was likely that it never would. Lily Evans, he knew, would never love him. It seemed in every way impossible, in every way unlikely and yet he couldn't quite bring himself to not wish or hope. Despite his knowledge of her obvious disinterest in him, it almost seemed second nature to desire her warm green eyes gazing upon him so full of love and passion.

_Magnificent_ was her beauty but even more great, more valuable was her intelligence, her kindness, her reverence over that which she was passionate and fervent. _That_ was what he loved the most about her. She understood things, she always seemed to see what was behind the mask. He knew that she must see the pain that he held, he knew that was why she always gazed upon him with sorrow. She must've pitied him. Another gust of wind threw the rain hard against the window and James was embarrassed to admit that he had jumped slightly at the unexpected sound.

"It's just a storm, _Potter_."

He jumped again and spun to see the last person he had wanted to see at that precise moment: _Lily Evans_. She stood there, a radiant angel, with farce annoyance etched clearly into her beautiful features. Momentarily, he forgot his embarrassment, for to see her standing there, poised with her arms crossed protectively across her chest - her heart - and leaning her back towards the stone wall, with such unattainable grace was likely to wipe away any man' s memory of what they had been doing and their reasoning for doing so.

When he did realize his embarrassment, he brushed it off and chuckled, "It's not polite to sneak up on people, Lily-dear."

"Don't call me that," she snapped.

"Merlin, what's gotten into you," he said, and then he noticed the stern gaze she was fixing upon him, "Alright. You're in a mood. I'll let you be…but perhaps we can compromise?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What kind of compromise?"

James smirked, "I'll let you be…only if you'll got out with me."

She rolled her eyes and spun around to return to her dormitory and James, in desperation, pleaded, "Wait! Don't go! I'm sorry!"

Lily gazed over her shoulder, slightly shocked, "You're _what_?"

James couldn't understand it. Why was she so amazed that he apologized? And then he knew. He had never before, in all the time that he had known her, apologized to her. And now he was just as confused as she; what had made him apologize?

She sighed, "Goodnight, James."

She began, once again, to slowly walk up the stairs, taking one step at a time. And then, out of spontaneous inspiration, James mumbled quickly, "I'm sorry…"

He heard her gasp and watched her slowly creep down the stairs, obviously unsure of what her actions should be. James, himself, was unsure of what he should do. It finally appeared to him that this was the most personal conversation they had shared, and it wasn't even all that personal. It was a bizarre realization and one that he knew he could not take lightly.

"You've never said that to me before," Lily, now standing a mere three feet from where he sat in the Common Rooms, said pensively, breaking the silence.

He ran his fingers threw his hair, searching for right choice of words, any set of words that wouldn't drive her away, "I never realized that I should."

A very small, very faint smile played across her lips, "Well…I appreciate it. It was…very thoughtful of you."

"Do you think," he ventured, "that you could find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"James," she sighed, "it is not as easy as that. One apology cannot not make up for every wrong."

"But you want to."

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, "How do you know what I want? You barely even know me!"

"I know that you're lying," he smirked.

She returned her gaze towards him, but still didn't fully face him, "You're just so full of yourself, aren't you? You think you know everything about women just because you could have just about any woman you want. But it's not true. You can't have me."

"So? You're stubborn; we can work through that."

"_We_? There is no _we_. Have you not listened to a word I've said?"

"Not really, no," he admitted nonchalantly, "There really is no point, I've realized. You're just going to lie to me anyway. So go on, live in your little fantasy world where you _think_ that you hate me."

"I loathe you, James Potter."

He laughed, "And I, you."

"I'm glad that you find this so amusing," Lily said with a very sarcastic tone.

"Good," James said, smirking up at her, noticing that with the small argument she had moved a bit closer to him, "Then that means I've done my job."

"Oh! You're impossible!"

"And _that_, my dear, is why we are so perfect for each other! Can you not see that? Or are you so blinded by my infectious beauty that you are dim to the truth?"

"Severus is right," she said suddenly, "You really are supercilious."

"Ah! So I see you still talk to Snivellus?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Lily responded quite smugly.

"You see, that is the _one_ thing I will never understand about you," James determined, "How can you even want to be friends with someone who called you the _m-word_."

"He didn't mean it," Lily said defensively, but she could not hide that she knew James had made a good point. How could she want to be friends with Severus, after what he had said about her?

"Lily, love," James, getting up from the couch and walking to her so that he could comfort her, tried to say as sweetly as he possibly could, "I think he meant it."

"But he couldn't have," she argued, slightly embarrassed that she now had small tears sliding down her cheeks, "He's my best friend! He wouldn't betray me like that!"

Wrapping his arms around her, James replied, "Love, I don't think he really is your friend. I think, he _was_ but isn't anymore. Sometimes that just happens with people, they grow distant."

Lily was a bit shocked at how she had welcomed his touch, "It's all that Lucius Malfoy's fault. Severus, he was a good person but now he's dabbling in the Dark Arts and it's all because of Malfoy."

James was at a bit of a loss of what to do. He had never comforted a person of the female species and certainly never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would comfort Lily Evans. He could think of nothing to do, nothing to say that would ease her heartache over the loss of her friend. Unexpectedly, she pulled away from his embrace.

"I'm sorry," she said, as she did so, "I have no idea why I got as emotional as I did."

James, of course, could always be trusted to have a witty remark even in a less witty situation, "That's alright. All girls get emotional at certain times; I didn't expect you to be any less."

She punched him with light force and responded, "I'm going to bed now. It's late and I have an exam in the morning."

Lily started to pull away from him, but for some reason he couldn't let her go. As she spun from him, he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back towards him.

"Goodnight, Lily Evans," he said very pointedly and then he kissed her. He could never be sure why he did it, but he knew that it was heaven to finally kiss her after all those years. And then suddenly, she pulled away and stared at him with what could only be a mix of rage and anger and…_could it be_?

_Passion_.

"That was inappropriate of you, _Potter_," she said, a bit out of breath. Then, she returned to her dormitory for some rest. Not long after, James trailed up the stairs for some rest as well. But neither Lily nor James got any sleep the rest of that night.

**THE END**


End file.
